Childhood obesity has become a major public health issue, and the causes of this condition are multiple and interconnected. In addition to genetic factors and a sedentary lifestyle, psychologists emphasize the significant impact of emotional and psychological factors.
Psychologist Renata Iancu explained on Părinți Prezenți, a show by ParintisiPitici.ro, how stress, anxiety, and the family environment contribute to the development of obesity.
According to the experts, personal or family stress plays an important role in triggering behaviors that lead to obesity.
"Personal or family stress can lead to anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and a negative perception of physical appearance", explains Renata Iancu.
Additionally, issues in the family environment, such as arguments, divorce, or the death of a family member, can have a devastating impact on children's emotional well-being.
"Furthermore, this can start if there are arguments in the family, perhaps a divorce, or the death of a family member. Or, in the kindergarten or school environment, the child encounters certain problems", states Renata Iancu.
Beyond genetic and psychological factors, diet is essential in developing this condition. Nutrition counselor Anca Cooney Soare discussed nutritional factors and how lifestyle influences children's weight.
"From a nutritional point of view, firstly, an unbalanced, unhealthy diet, a lot of sugary carbonated drinks, snacks, chips, unhealthy snacks, lack of fruits and vegetables in the diet, lack of physical activity", says Anca Cooney Soare.
Another major factor in childhood obesity is a sedentary lifestyle, exacerbated by the time spent in front of screens.
"Children today spend a lot of time in front of screens, which leads to a sedentary lifestyle. This, I would say, is perhaps the main cause of obesity: screen time.
Most children spend 5-6 hours in front of a screen, maybe even more. And this sedentary lifestyle leads to obesity, along with, of course, an unbalanced diet", the nutrition counselor further explained.
A balanced diet must ensure the necessary intake of essential macronutrients and micronutrients.
"The necessary intake of macronutrients and micronutrients that a child needs to develop healthily is not being met. And when I talk about macronutrients, I mean fats, proteins, and lipids, while micronutrients are essential vitamins and minerals. If I don't consume fruits and vegetables, where will I get them from? And so, this imbalance, over time, leads to obesity", the expert added.
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